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Common pitfalls to look out for in pick & pack operations

Pack Bench

If you work in a pick and pack operation, you’ll know that it’s often a very demanding environment. There’s a relentless demand from online shoppers to have it NOW. So, we bet you can often feel under pressure to get things out of the door and hit your targets.

How can you help alleviate some of this pressure? Well, making sure your packaging materials and packing operation are fit for purpose is key! As we’re around pick and pack operations regularly, we’re familiar with some of the most frequent challenges that can hide in plain sight….

What should you watch out for?

Here are some of the common pitfalls you should be keeping an eye out for in your pick and pack operation. Can you spot any of these happening in your warehouse?

Boxes being modified by your staff

We often see packers cutting down boxes as they don’t fit the range of products that are being packed in them. This will cost you valuable time, slow down your throughput and create unnecessary waste.

Plus, you’re paying for excess packing material you don’t need. A fit for purpose box will pay for itself numerous times over, helping you improve productivity and saving you money.

Insufficient packing materials kept at workstations

Do you ever see your staff walking off to another warehouse location to grab more packaging? If you answered yes, your pack stations probably aren’t being stocked effectively. The closer your materials are, the less time your packers will have to spend retrieving them – enhancing the efficiency of your operation and reducing labour costs.

Delivery schedules that don’t work for you

When and how your packaging is delivered can impact handling time and how efficiently your warehouse is running. Whilst you might think that daily delivery is great, it could be adding extra handling time – taking away from getting your product out the door.

A reputable packaging supplier will work with you to decide what’s best, be that just-in-time delivery, a weekly slot or every other day. Click to learn about our logistics services.

Using multiple sealing methods

Are you sealing your boxes with more than one kind of tape or strapping? The chances are, you probably don’t need to! It can affect how good your packs look, can take longer and create extra waste.

We often find that gummed paper tape (sometimes referred to as water activated tape) is an effective option for most pick & pack operations as you can control the amount of tape used, it offers extra security and it’s environmentally friendly. Here’s a case study where making this switch helped one of our customers reduce their tape usage by 75%.

Re-packing at goods in

It’s surprising how many companies we see re-packing products during their goods in process. We’ve seen products go from one clear poly bag to another. Does this happen in your operation?

Re-packing can be massively time consuming and may be a process you can eliminate – especially if you’re packing into unbranded packaging.

Book a packaging review

We can help you spot other bottlenecks in your supply chain with a packaging review. Contact us by emailing contact@networkpack.co.uk to book yours today!